Wire netting machine



Jan. 20, 1953 F. BERGANDI WIRE NETTING MACHINE 4 Shee'sSheet 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1946 I N V EN TOR. FPAA/K BEPGAND/ BY g: TI'OPMEK Jan. 20, 1953 F. BERGANDI 2,625,961

WIRE NETTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 16, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fmma BEmANDI Arron/5K Patented Jan. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 6 61 WIRE NETTINGrMACHI'NE an erg n i, L sdnge es, Ca if. Application September 16, 1946, Serial No. 69?7,187

(o1. rid-92.6)

Claims.

flat helical coils of wire suchas used in fence.

wire netting and thelike.

It is the object of my invention to provide .a device capable of simultaneously forming successv sions of pairs of such wire coils of predetermined length. It is a further object to provide within the device means adjustable to vary the lengths of coils as may be required.

These and other objects of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description and by referring to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a device ems bodyingthe invention;

Fig. 2 shows, in perspective, the form of mandrel employed for the wire forming operation;

Fig. 3 is a detail View of the cut-off mecha nism of the device;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the left end portionof Fig. 1;

Figs. 5, 6 and '7 are end views taken respectively on lines 5, Band I of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary end view of a portion of'Fig. 4;

Fig. Q-is a side elevational-view of the par-tsof Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary-plan view of-the wire feeding mechanism of the device; and

Fig. 11 is a side view of a portion thereof.

In the form illustrated in the drawings, the device of my invention includes, generally, a wire forming sectionA, a cut-ofi mechanism B, a device C for twisting together the projecting ends of the two newly formed adjacent wire coils, and an operating and control mechanism D forthe aforenamed devices.

Two strands-of wire a, b, are fed between groups of rollers l, 2 to a mandrel l0, and these rollers are mounted on frames, each of which comprises two plates 4, 5. One of the plates of each frame is hung on a pivot 6 for relative adjustment to maintain the strands-a, I) under any required tension. A handscrew 1 is provided to clamp the plates together in adjusted position.

The mandrel l0 consists of a flat bar which, at the inner end thereof, is twisted, substantially as indicated at ID, for the purpose of facilitating the forming of the two strands into flat, helical coils. the machine frame is mounted a block or cradle ll, the upper surface of which is ro d to r ce e a o l ndrioal uide l2, and this guide is clamped in position in the cradle by m. S.-01.' S.Gr.eWs.l3 It. The strands of wireare, during rotations of the mandrel, forced to 101-- lo th windin the uide and they adva ce therefrom in t e form o flat. ni ormly spa e helical c ils. When he, o coil have ad n d the desired, .ie ed erinined dis ance. i s found that themandrelstoosend that. s -the sense t m the cuttin mechani m B is eoi ie ed- Allh f oin wil be he einei er mo fully described.

The dev e by means of w i h t e peration of the coi windin and out-oilmeoliani m is con: trol ed ill oW- e describe e man re H1 is seated. in the. nner nd of: e heit 2.1!. towhioh isrisidl secu ed a s ral see 2 A ieo s h i 22 car es a ear 3 inesli witlithe earl l, and.

I a smaller spiral ear 2, atthe oppo tev end of he shaft. s in erm ne t-mesh ith a eree ea :5. o

t in shaft 2s. f r rot tin the letter at a relatively much slower speed.

To the sheit .61s ri idly se ur d a clutch memh r 2 and a e o c utc m ber 8 i h n for rot t on on. t e shaft- A s rin 33 urge he memb r 28 int nga em nt with the m mber 2 for s ul aneous. ro at on i olools e Cl A thir shaf 3. is mount d arallel aiorenamed sh its 2Q. 26. a d this slnft is. n a m nne which wi l lee -de cribed atenoonmooted to op a e th toff an wire twistin mechanisms. In perati n, t e mainshaft 2,0 is rotated to form the two coils ofwire, whereupon t s opped oran nstant and the shaft 33 s rotated during this brief period to perform its function. The-control mechanism necessary for this purpose willnow be. described.

In an annular, internally recessed groove 28- of the clutch member 28 are seated an upper stop 3| and a lower stop 32, which stops are clamped in positionon the memberby means of bolts 33. The upper stop is shown offset to the left, the ofiset portion thereof resting on a stationary anvil 34 of the machine frame. The lower stop is offset to the right for contact with a stud'35 of an arm 36 when the shaft 26 is rotated clockwise direction. The arm 36 is hung on a pivot 31 a d a spr n 38 urges thisarm o n ar To a sh ft 40 s ed a vert ca y r i fram and a h zonta y extending arm 42 ee i 8. a d a p werfu s rin 43 x d n f m he mach frame t t u er en of he la ter ur es un e cl ise tat n of this. sha t.- The arm 36 is ot h d. subs antial yas indicated at 36 in i 5. a d the u per end oi the frame M s show recessed to receive the notched portion of the arm, thereby to maintain itiin upright position against the tension of the-spring 43.

A clutch 45 connects the drive gears of the machine with the shaft 20, and this clutch is fitted with a lever 46 which, through a rock frame 41, a roller 48 of this frame, and a link 49 which rides on a stud 44 of the arm 42, is operatively connected to be swung counterclockwise, thereby to release the clutch.

It was above stated that the timing shaft 26 rotates clockwise slowly, thereby to cause the stop 32 to rise until it reaches the end of the stud 36. Continued movement causes the arm 36 to rise until the shoulder 36 thereof leaves the recess bottom of the frame 4|, which latter thereupon by the spring 43 is caused to swing to the left. It is now noticed that the lower end of the lever 46 is inwardly directed to form a cam surface 46*, along which the roller 48 travels when the rock frame 41 is tilted by the downwardly moving arm 42, thereby to release the clutch 45.

On the shaft 40 is rigidly mounted an arm 50, the upper end of which engages the outer end of a bellcrank 5| to cause the latter to swing on its pivot 52 and so to withdraw the clutch member 28 from the fixed member 21. As best shown in Fig, 5, a counterweight 53 is so hung on the member 28 that it will return this member to its initial position the moment the member is released.

A clutch connects the shaft 30 with the driving mechanism of the machine and it comprises a member 60 which is rigidly mounted on a sleeve of the shaft. rides on a feather 63 of the shaft, and a bellcrank 64 is pivotally secured at 65 to a fixed bracket 66 of the machine frame. movement of this bellcrank in clutch closing direction. The clutch is, however, normally maintained in open position in the following manner.

-As best shown in Figs. 4, 6 and '7, a rocker 10 is hung on a shaft H and it is, by means of a link 12, connected for operation by the frame 4|. One end of this rocker is fitted with gear teeth 10 in mesh with the teeth of a rack bar 13 which is guided within a frame 14, vertically rising from and forming part of the rocker. A laterally projecting button 14 of this frame contacts a stud 75 of the bellcrank 64 normally to maintain the latter and the clutchmember 62 retracted.

However, when arm 4| is releasedto open themain shaft clutch, as above described, it is found that the rocker 10 is oscillated, thereby to cause the rack bar 13 to slide downward and the head 13 of this bar to pass below the high oint 16 of a cam 16. The latter is rigidly secured to .the shaft-30. The spring 61 is now free to swing the bellcrank 64 and to move the clutch member 62 to carry the clutch into closed position and thereby to cause the shaft to rotate. ever, one rotation is completed, it is found that the cam Hi will reach and pass the head of the rack bar, in passing to force it outward.

It is now noticed that a second cam 11 is secured to the shaft 30 (see. also Fig. 5), and this cam engages the upper end of an arm 18 which, by a link 19, is connected with the upper end of the frame 41. It is' important to note that this cam commences to swing the arm 18 thereby to return the frame 4| to its initial position to close the main shaft clutch at the same time that the cam 16 commences to push the rack bar outward. Also that, because the rocker l0 is connected with the frame 4|, this rocker is'swung back into its initial position further to insure complete withdrawal of the clutch member 62 and to efiect return, rising movement ;of .the rack bar.-

The second clutch member 62 A spring 61'urges Before, how-.

ed by rotating the stud 35.

4 spring 69 may be added to further this return movement.

Precision of timing is essential to successful operation of my machine. It is for this reason necessary to employ the toothed clutches on the shafts 26 and 30. No difiiculty is encountered in releasing the clutch of the timing shaft 26, because the pressure against the rising stop 32 is so light. I have found, however, that the clutch of the shaft 30 may tend to stick and I have, for this reason, provided means for overcoming such tendency. Such means is shown in the form of an arm 80, rising from the bottom of the machine and fitted at the top with a roller 8| which enages a notch in a cam 82 of the shaft 30. A powerful spring 83 urges the roller into this notch. The bottom face 82 of the cam notch is slightly downwardly inclined and this is done in order to compel the roller, the moment it passes over the high point of the cam, by the tension of the spring 83, in a 'fiash to pass over and depress the cam surface, thereby for an instant to accelerate. the rotating movement of the shaft and so to relieve any pressure tending to cause the clutch teeth to stick.

Additional adjustment of the various featuresof the machine is provided for the purpose of the delicate timing of the various operations thereof. It is, for example, important that the stud 15 is correctly set in order that the arm 4| may be moved to effect the opening of the timing clutch at the correct moment. A small fraction of one second would sufiice to leave the finished coils out of alignment with the cut-off mechanism and the wire end twisting elements. But whenthestud is threaded into the bellcrank 64, as shown, such critical adjustment may readily beeifected.

It was above stated that the stops 3|, 32, of the. timing clutch, are clamped in set position by bolts 33. The upper stop 3| remains permanently in the position chosen and the line adjustment required to raise the arm 36 so as to free it from. the arm 4| at-the critical moment may be effect- Once correctly set; this stud. is rigidly locked in position by the check nut 39. The stop 32, on the other hand, is mov-jl able along the periphery ofv the timing clutch a distance corresponding to'the width of netting: to be produced.

As above stated, the'mandrel 10 is somewhat twisted near one end thereof, and this is done in order more positively to bring the. flattened coils; of the wire strands into continued alignment.- Where a straight mandrel is used, it is found that f the resilience of the wire will tend to unwind each coil as it leaves the mandrel, but the sudden twist imparted to the wire as it passes over the twisted portion of the mandrel, overcomes this tendency. The harder the wire used, the greaterthe tendency to unwind, and it is for this reason preferable to keep on hand mandrels correctly shaped to suit the kind of wire used.

The general idea of using a solid helical guide to form the coils of the netting is old in the art, butI have found that the wire mesh produced in such solid'guide is not alway uniformly spaced? the minutest variations in the caliber or the teX-: ture' of the wire coils as they come from the manufacturer causing sufficient variations inthe lengthsof coils produced to'afiect or even pre Zient successful cutting'and end twisting opera-- ons. i

The guide 1210f the present. invention is not, however,.so1i d.but consists of two'identicaLhelical coils I5, I0, which are independently mount'-' able in the groove of the cradle II by means of the screws I3, I4, see Fig. '1. When the perforations of the cradle, through which the screws extend, are elongated as shown, it is seen that one coil may be slightly adjusted relative to the other, and both coils may be adjusted relative to the twist in the mandrel. The guide may, in such manner, readily be set to produce perfect coils.

I have found it advantageous to place a second helical guide a distance behind the guide I2. This second guide is similarly composed ,of identical, helical coils 90, 9|, which are'independently fastened in the cradle 94 by screws 92, 03. In case a very slight variationin the linear spacing of the coils of one of the strands of wire, or both, is found, it is a simple matter by slight adjustment of these additional guides to overcome this difficulty.

In addition, it is to be noted that the cradles are mounted on a slide 95 which is movable lengthwise on the machine frame in order correctly to position the helical coils relative to the cut-off and the wire twisting mechanisms after one coil has been adjusted relative to the other. A bolt 96 is provided to clamp on the slide rigidly in adjusted position.

The wire twisting mechanism is merely indicated at C, such mechanism being commonly used in devices of this type and may be of any suitable preferred construction.

The mandrel is mounted in a chuck II, which is rotatably adjustable within an annular guide I8 of the shaft 20 and clamped in position by bolts I9. This adjustment is important in the mounting of the mandrel, the main outer part of which, when the machine reaches wire cutting position, must assume a vertical position.

The cut-off mechanism is, in Fig. 3, shown to comprise slides I00, I I which are hung on a rail I02 and are fitted at the top thereof to support cutting tools I03, I04. To a shaft I05 are secured eccentrics I06, I01, from which extend straps I08, I09 to the lower ends of the slides. As indicated in Fig. 4, a gear pinion H0 is fastened to the mandrel shaft 20 and it is in permanent mesh with a larger gear I I I of the shaft 30. These gears and shafts are driven by an electric motor through the medium of belts II2 which ride in grooves of the clutch member 45. The shaft I05 is, in Fig. 3, shown connected for rotation from the shaft 30 by means of a sprocket wheel H3 and chain II4.

When the clutch 45 is released to permit the mandrel shaft 20 to stop for the purpose of the cut-off and the wire twisting operations, it is found that the tension stored in the newly made double coil within and between the two sets of helical guides exerts a powerful backlash pressure against the mandrel and the shaft 20. This pressure would rotate the mandrel and the shaft in the opposite direction and would entirely upset the timing of these operations. It is, for this reason, necessary to provide means for checking such backlash movement and the means illustrated comprises a pawl I I5, rising from the shaft 40 to engage notches Ilt in a disc H6. The latter rides on a stud II! and a gear wheel II8 of this disc is in mesh with a gear pinion II9 of the mandrel shaft 20. At the time the clutch is released, it is found that the pawl engages a notch in the disc effectively to prevent such recoil rotation.

It is seen from the foregoing that I have provided a device which will automatically and at high speed produce continuous succession of in- 6 t'erwoven, iflat, uniformly spaced coils. I do. not, however, wish to be limitedato the exactcombina tions and arrangements of parts andfeatures, but reserve the right to :embody modifications thereof within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

I claim:

'1. A wirenettingmachine comprising, a frame, a slide lengthwise adjustable on said frame, a guide on .said slide including two identical 1mi-v formly spaced interwoven helical coils, a second guide on theslide in axial spaced relation to said first guide and similarly composed :of two identi cal uniformly spaced interwoven helical coils, a mandrel extending through said guides, means for feeding two strands of wire through the entrance tothe spaces between the two first named guide coils on to said mandrel, means for rotating thetmandrel continuously to .draw the wires through the space between the coils of the two guides thereby to form two identical interwoven uniformly spaced coils of wire, means for relatively adjusting the coils of each of said guides, and means for clamping said slide in adjusted position on the frame.

2. A wire netting machine comprising, two guides in axially spaced relation to each other, each guide consisting of two identical uniformly spaced interwoven helical coils, a driven shaft, a chuck on the end of said shaft composed of two relatively angularly adjustable members, a mandrel seated in said chuck for rotation therewith, means for feeding two strands of wire through the entrance to the coil spaces of said first guide on to said mandrel, means for rotating said shaft and mandrel continuously to draw the wires on the mandrel through the spaces of said guides thereby to form two identical interwoven uniformly spaced coils of wire, a cut-off mechanism, means for adjusting the members of said chuck angularly to align the mandrel with the said outoff mechanism, and means for relatively adjusting the two coils of each guide axially, and means for locking each coil in adjusted position.

3. A wire netting machine comprising, a frame, a slide lengthwise adjustable on said frame, two guides on said slide in axially spaced relation to each other, each guide consisting of two identical uniformly spaced interwoven helical coils, a driven shaft, a chuck on the end of said shaft composed of two relatively angularly adjustable members, a mandrel seated in said chuck for rotation therewith, means for feeding two strands of wire through the entrance to the coil spaces of the guide nearest said chuck on to said mandrel, means for rotating said shaft and mandrel continuously to draw the wires on to the mandrel through the spaces of said guides thereby to form two identical interwoven uniformly spaced coils of wire, a cut-off mechanism, means for angularly adjusting said chuck members correctly to align the mandrel angularly with said cut-off mechanism, means for relatively adjusting the two coils of each guide axially, means for locking each coil in adjusted position on the slide, and means for clamping said slide in adjusted position.

4. A wire netting machine comprising, a support, a guide in said support consisting of two identically shaped interwoven helical coils in axially spaced relation to each other, the support having axially elongated perforations through the wall thereof, bolts extending through said perforations and seated in said coils for clamping each of said coils in position in the support, the coils being relatively adjustable within the limits of said elongated perforations, a fiat mandrel extending through said guide, means for feeding two strands of wire through the entrance to the spaces between the two guide coils on to said mandrel, and means for rotating the mandrel to draw the wires through said spaces to form two identical fiat interwoven uniformly spaced coils of wire. 1'

5. A wire netting machine comprising, a support, a guide consisting of two identical interwoven helical coils seated in said support in axially spaced relation to each other for relative axial adjustment therein, means for clamping each of said coils in adjusted position within the guide, a driven shaft, a chuck on the end of said shaft, a flat mandrel seated in said chuck for rotation therewith and extending through the coils of said guide, means for feeding two strands of wire into said coil spaces, means for rotating the shaft and mandrel to draw the wires through 8 the coil spaces to form two identical flat interwoven uniformly spaced coils of wire about the mandrel, a cut-off mechanism, and means for angularly adjusting said chuck on the shaft to turn the mandrel into proper angular relation to said cut-ofi mechanism.

FRANK BERGANDI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 347,829 Reinnan Aug. 24, 1886 770,722 J ohanson Sept. 20, 1904 1,243,353 Snedeker Oct. 16, 1917 1,306,859 Schneider June 17, 1919 1,852,396 Bergandi Apr. 5, 1932 

